Investigators from the coroner’s special operations response team were able to recover three bodies Sunday night, before darkness and safety concerns suspended the search, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said Monday in a news release.

It’s unclear which victims have been recovered.

As fans around the world grapple with Bryant’s death, clues are emerging about what happened shortly before the crash.

The helicopter was operating under “special visual flight rules” (SVFR), according to an air traffic control conversation with the pilot, captured by website LiveATC.net.

An SVFR clearance allows a pilot to fly in weather conditions worse than those allowed for regular visual flight rules (VFR).

Fog blanketed the area

Witnesses said the helicopter plummeted quickly before crashing on the hillside, Los Angeles County fire Capt. Tony Imbrenda said.

It was not immediately clear whether the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter radioed a distress signal, Imbrenda said.

Local authorities are working with the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA to try to determine the cause of the crash.

Sikorsky, the helicopter manufacturer, tweeted its condolences.

“We have been in contact with the NTSB and stand ready to provide assistance and support to the investigative authorities. … Safety is our top priority; if there are any actionable findings from the investigation, we will inform our S-76 customers.”

The helicopter was built in 1991 and was most recently registered to Island Express Holding Corp., according to the FAA.

Calls to Island Express were not answered Sunday.

A nation in shock and mourning

Devastated fans flooded an area near the crash site as well as Staples Center in Los Angeles, the city where Bryant spent his entire 20-year NBA career.

Born in Philadelphia, Bryant quickly soared to become one of basketball’s greatest champions. He won five NBA championships before retiring in April 2016, capping his career by scoring 60 points in his final game.

Former Lakers Coach Phil Jackson called Bryant a “chosen one — special in many ways to many people.”

Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and his three other daughters — the youngest of which was born in June.

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